[You received a new side quest. Check the Quest Panel for details.]
[You unlocked Revolver. Check the Gallery for details.]
[You received a new side quest.]
[You received a new side quest.]
Kiara straightened instantly behind the counter, fatigue vanishing as anticipation replaced it. The quiet shop, moments ago filled only with drifting dust and idle air, now felt charged with possibility.
She opened the newly unlocked store without hesitation.
A prompt appeared before her.
[Please select a category: Skills, Items, Attributes, Bloodlines, Unique Weapons.]
Her gaze swept across the list.
Only Items glowed faintly.
The rest remained dim, grayed out like locked vaults waiting for keys she did not yet possess.
"So even Bloodlines can be purchased," Kiara murmured thoughtfully. "This system truly defies common sense."
"System," she asked, leaning forward slightly, "how do I unlock the other categories?"
[Upgrade the System Store to unlock remaining categories.]
"And how do I upgrade the store?"
Her curiosity sharpened particularly at the mention of Unique Weapons. If the basic pistol already shocked nobles, what sort of creations rested beyond that locked threshold?
[Upgrade Stones are required. Upgrade Stones are obtainable only through emergency quests or side quests. Acquisition depends on host luck.]
Kiara's expression darkened immediately.
"Luck," she muttered flatly, resting her forehead briefly against the cool wooden counter. "Of course it depends on luck."
After a moment, she straightened again.
"Fine. Let us see what is available."
She selected Items.
The interface shifted into a wide grid filled with neatly arranged images, each accompanied by names and prices. The first section displayed various pills, their descriptions scrolling beside them in small glowing text.
Temporary pills promised accelerated Ether recovery, increased crafting success rates, or rapid wound healing. Permanent pills offered boosts to strength, agility, vitality, longevity, and even skill potency.
Kiara scanned the prices and exhaled sharply.
"One hundred credits for a basic pill," she said under her breath. "The system truly believes in premium pricing."
She scrolled further.
The next section contained accessories. Rings, pendants, bracelets, and small talismans offered permanent enhancements to physical attributes, though their effects applied only while worn.
These were slightly cheaper than pills.
"I have no Ether," she murmured thoughtfully. "Strength and agility mean little without a foundation."
She continued scrolling.
Then her eyes paused.
"Hmm?"
A simple copper-grade ring.
Its design was unremarkable, lacking gemstones or elaborate carvings. Yet the price caught her attention.
Five hundred credits.
She selected it immediately.
[Ring of Luck]
Grade: Copper (Upgradable)
Description: Allows the host to steal luck from others temporarily.
Effect (1): Permanent Luck +1
Effect (2): Steal up to +2 temporary luck for five minutes. Cooldown: Three hours per point.
Price: 500 credits.
"Stealing luck?"
Kiara's eyes changed.
If there was one element her life had consistently lacked, it was fortune.
Customers required luck.
Upgrade Stones required luck.
Survival required luck.
Even in danger, stealing an enemy's luck could mean the difference between life and death.
Without hesitation, she confirmed the purchase.
[500 credits deducted.]
[Ring of Luck sent to inventory.]
[Side Quest (1) completed.]
[Side Quest (3) completed.]
[New side quest issued.]
[Luck stat added to Character Panel.]
Kiara blinked, surprised by the chain reaction.
"Has fortune finally noticed me?" she murmured, lips curling into a faint smile.
She closed the notifications and retrieved the ring from her inventory. It looked utterly ordinary in her palm, as though purchased from a roadside stall rather than a mystical system.
She slipped it onto her left index finger.
"System. Open Character Menu."
The familiar panel appeared.
Name: Kiara (Phoenix)
Strength: 0.3
Intelligence: 0.7
Defense: 0.2
Agility: 0.1
Vitality: 0.8
Resistance: 0.1
Charisma: 6.8
Luck: 2 (+1)
Ether Quality: Nil
Ether Energy: 0
Available Credits: 187
Net Worth: 436 gold, 46 silver
She stared at the Luck value.
"Two," she muttered flatly.
Memories surfaced uninvited.
Kidnapped by criminals in her previous life.
Betrayed by trusted comrades.
Transmigrated into a powerless princess's body that lacked Ether and had been discarded at birth.
A failing business in a world ruled by cultivation.
She let out a long breath.
"No wonder."
The ring glinted faintly in the lamplight.
"With stolen luck, my total could reach five," she calculated. "Perhaps that will finally tilt fate in my direction."
She dismissed the panel and opened the Quest List.
[Main Quest: Sell 100 Single-Shot Pistols]
Progress: 15%
*
[Side Quest (1): Purchase an item from the store]
Completed
Reward: 50 credits (click to receive)
*
[Side Quest (2): Sell 10 Revolvers]
Progress: 0%
*
[Reward: Semi Automatic Pistol (10-round magazine)]
Side Quest (3): Spend 500 Credits
Completed
Reward: Lottery Wheel (click to receive)
*
"Fifty credits for a simple purchase," she mused. "Equivalent to dismantling a top-tier silver weapon. Acceptable."
The mention of a Lottery Wheel intrigued her.
"A gamble mechanism," she said thoughtfully. "I should use it only after stealing luck."
She claimed both rewards.
Two new quests immediately replaced the completed ones.
Her eyes widened slightly.
[Side Quest (1): Earn 1000 gold from selling system created weapons, excluding bullets]
Progress: 7.5%
Reward: Ether Particles
*
[Side Quest (3): Spend 5000 Credits]
Progress: 10%
Reward: Exchange Panel (Currency ↔ Credits)
*
Kiara clenched her fist tightly, excitement threatening to overwhelm her composure.
"Ether Particles," she whispered.
That single reward could change everything.
If she obtained Ether, she would no longer remain a powerless observer in a world of spirit warriors.
"As long as I continue selling," she murmured steadily, "I can step onto the cultivation path myself."
The copper ring gleamed faintly on her finger.
"Anyway, now that I have the ring, it is time to test this ring..."
*
The streets of the Imperial City pulsed with late afternoon life as Kiara and Zion walked side by side through the crowd.
One wore an easy, bright smile that softened her sharp features, while the other carried a calm, moonlit stillness that drew more attention than he intended.
Together, they looked like opposites carved from the same marble, sunlight and shadow like a perfect, complete couple.
The people along the roadside could not help but glance at them twice, whispering behind their sleeves as the pair passed by.
Their destination loomed ahead.
The Everlasting Store.
One of the Big Three weapon stores within the Imperial City, backed by the Swordmasters Guild, the second largest guild in the Empire, with more than eight thousand members under its banner.
For the past twenty years, Everlasting had also partnered with the Iron Vanguardians, the most prestigious dwarven blacksmith guild in existence. As a result, its main branch in the Imperial City had never once run out of stock, no matter how many customers flooded through its doors.
Kiara was not here to buy.
She was hunting.
Not for weapons.
For luck.
In her mind, those blessed with wealth, talent, or status were likely favored by the heavens.
If she could temporarily siphon their fortune through the Ring of Luck, perhaps her own path would smooth out. Even if they lost a sliver of destiny for five minutes, it would not kill them. And if it did, then fate had simply chosen a different story for them.
With that pragmatic thought settled firmly in her mind, Kiara stepped into the store.
The ground floor buzzed with customers inspecting racks of weapons displayed in polished rows. Staff moved efficiently between buyers, explaining specifications and prices with practiced fluency. The atmosphere carried the scent of metal, oil, and coin.
For a brief moment, Kiara felt something uncomfortably close to envy.
She exhaled slowly.
"Don't need to be overwhelmed," she told herself quietly. "Nexus will look like this one day."
Her gaze swept across the weapons. After a quick inspection, she noticed that the blades and spears here were ungraded. High quality for common steel, but still ungraded.
Her interest faded immediately.
The most expensive ungraded weapon here costs two gold coins.
In her store, the cheapest pistol costs five.
The difference in value was obvious to her, even if customers did not yet understand it.
Kiara's attention shifted toward the back corners of the store. In the southwest, customers ascended a staircase. In the northwest, others descended. The steady flow suggested multiple floors.
"Big Sister, look over there," Zion said quietly, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder.
Kiara followed his gesture.
Near the entrance stood a large board she had ignored earlier. She stepped back outside to read it carefully.